Despite being underdogs last Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers absolutely dominated the New York Jets in a 37-15 victory. Although only seven games into the season, the Steelers are now 5-2 and have three dominating wins on their resume (Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers).
There have been doubts about how good this Steelers team is, but the numbers say they are pretty good, as they hold a point differential of +60. They have won with both quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, showing that no matter who the quarterback is, it really doesn’t matter (even if Wilson played the best game by a Steelers quarterback last week).
This past week was a week of good vibes, which even extended to former Steeler Ryan Clark. The other day on ESPN’s Get Up, Clark was asked if he believed the Steelers could win a playoff game, something the team has not done since the 2016 season.
“I absolutely believe it,” said Clark. “Now I also believe they can win a playoff game with Justin Fields as their starting quarterback. But the one thing I loved from what I saw Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith was the willingness to push the ball down the field. Actually dialing up the bunch routes, and the stack routes, and the picks that presented one-on-ones for George Pickens and people like Pat Freiermuth down the football field, and then Russell Wilson delivering.”
In Sunday night’s win against the Jets, Pittsburgh’s offense exploded. Despite a slow start, the Steelers scored 37 points, a first in a win since 2020, and amassed 409 yards. A big reason for those 409 yards was Wilson, who threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns as he showcased his beautiful “moon ball.”
From an offensive point of view, there is a lot to look forward to. Wilson looked rusty to start the game, so a full 60-minute performance from him could be special. He still has to build and improve his connection with the Steelers’ wide receivers, as he missed most of the training camp and the first six weeks of the season. In fact, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is really excited to keep working with Wilson as he believes Wilson’s moonball will help create more explosive plays and, in turn, points.
Smith’s play calling has been a sight for sore eyes for Steelers fans after suffering through three years of Matt Canada’s offense. While it’s not perfect, it seems it is finally all coming together, especially with Wilson as the quarterback. For example, Wilson allowed WR George Pickens to have his best game of the season on Sunday when he hauled in five catches for 111 yards and his first touchdown. It also allowed TE Pat Freiermuth to make plays downfield, like his sick one-handed grab.
It’s Pat Freiermuth’s turn to make a crazy catch for the @Steelers 😱
📺: #NYJvsPIT on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/mt4F6F2hSF— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2024
It definitely seems possible for the Steelers to win their first playoff game since January 2017. They have a good offensive coordinator, and whether their quarterback is Wilson or Fields, it is still the best quarterback the team has had since Ben Roethlisberger. Additionally, Pittsburgh has an elite defense. They currently are second in scoring, allowing only 14.4 points per game and eighth in yards allowed per game, with 298.3.
There is still a lot of time until the playoffs, and the Steelers are no shoo-in to even make it, given the brutal back half of their schedule. However, it is hard not to feel like Clark and believe this is finally the year the Steelers win a playoff game.
